Smartphone

A smartphone is a small, all-in-one devices that is used for communication and computing functions. In contrast to ordinary cell phones, smartphones allow users to choose the applications that they want to install and use. This means that users can personalize the range of applications in their smartphones to suit their lifestyle and their job.

Ordinary cell phones limit the applications that a user can utilize to the applications that come with the phone. With smartphones, users can choose their own calendar, phonebook, organizer, etc. In this regard, a smartphone can be a cell phone with PDA features or PDAs with communication capabilities.

Uses of a Smartphone

Because smartphones are PDA/cell phone combinations, they can receive and send phone calls; manage user information through their to-do list, calendar/organizer and notes; create or establish networks as well as synchronize data with the devices in the network; send and receive emails; and download and play media files.

The operating system that most smartphones use is SymbianOS. This operating system enables the owners to use multiple applications at the same time. A user can check the phonebook in his or her smartphone while taking a call, receive a call while watching a video without interrupting the media player application, check the calendar or to-do list while composing an email. Moreover, smartphones can be synchronized with other devices like a personal computer or laptop to keep files updated. Third party applications enable the smartphones to support other systems such as Java, SyncML, Bluetooth and GPRS.

System Support

GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) enables a user to stay connected to the network at all times so he can run applications remotely as well as access the internet. A GPRS phone can also serve as a wireless modem bridge for users, enabling them to send and receive emails, chat online and browse the internet. The EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for Global Evolution) system, which is much faster, will someday replace GPRS and will enable users to stream video or other media files to their smartphones.

Bluetooth, on the other hand is a wireless, short-range radio networking system that enables a user's phone to connect to Bluetooth-enabled devices within a network. With Bluetooth, users can print their documents and update their files on the smartphone without connecting to the device itself.

SyncML ensures the smartphone's compatibility with the operating systems of other devices and with the programs it syncs with like the internet, email protocols, TC/IPs and Bluetooth. Lastly, Java makes smartphones capable of using MIDlets that are essential to running programs such as utilities, applications and games.

The Risk from Viruses

All these features of a smartphones, however, make them susceptible to virus attacks. There are viruses that can turn off or lock the anti-virus protection of these phones. There are, however, anti-virus applications that can be installed in a smartphone to make its SymbianOS a lot more secure. Users can also protect their phones from viruses by refraining from executing or downloading suspicious programs or mails.